It happens to everyone at least a couple times a year – you plan a gnarly mountain biking trip for weeks and on the day of your ride, it rains. Or even worse, it rains hard the night before your ride and is sunny the next day – but the trails are too wet to ride. Or what if it hasn’t even rained in a week and you drive for an hour out to the trailhead only to find the trails are soaked? This situation can test even the staunchest responsible trail rider.
Many of the trails here in the southeast are managed pretty closely and park rangers are able to “close” trails by posting closed signs on wet trails and answering phone inquiries regarding trail conditions. For trails that offer a phone service I almost NEVER go out to the trails without calling first. In my area there’s even a website that keeps a (relatively) up to date listing of trail closures.
But what about those trails that no one really “owns” or manages? We went out for a ride in Chapel Hill a couple weeks ago despite the fact that all the managed trails in the area were closed and found a wet, sloppy mess. We actually rode about a mile on the trails which was probably too much before deciding it wasn’t a good idea to be riding that day. My new rule – if some area trails are closed, that probably means I shouldn’t ride ANYWHERE that day.
I have to admit though, it’s tough to stay off the trails, especially when you’ve invested a great deal in getting to the trailhead (time, gas money, etc.).¬† I had some friends who drove 30 minutes out to the local trail and the park rangers told them it looked like it *might* rain so they couldn’t go out. Frustrating for sure but you can’t argue about preserving the few trails available to bikers.
